More than 100 proud cadets and their officers honoured at special ceremony recognising their service to the county

27 April 2018

Page Content

Essex County Council’s Chairman hosted a reception at County Hall, Chelmsford, last night (26 April) to celebrate the outstanding contribution of the county’s 3,700 young people who serve in the sea, army, air and combined cadet forces.

Cllr John Aldridge said: “From humble beginnings in the middle of the 19th century when a number of volunteer units of the Territorial Army formed Cadet Companies, there has been a proud tradition of young people volunteering for the uniformed services.

“There are 130,000 cadets in the UK, with 3,700 in Essex alone, supported by 700 adult volunteers.

“I was delighted to welcome some of the cadets and officers from Essex to County Hall and recognise their service and value to our communities.”

The celebration was also attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, and Colonel Ray Wilkinson QVRM TD VR, Chief Executive of the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for East Anglia.

Colonel Wilkinson said: “It’s a great testament to the cadets to see county leaders recognising them as a force for good in the community with events such as this one.

“Because we work so closely with the cadet forces, we know that they inspire young people to challenge their limits, grow their abilities and go further in life.

“We’re proud to be the organisation that supports the cadet forces in having such a big impact on communities in ways that transcend religion, ethnicity, class and ability.

“One of the six First Sea Lord’s cadets for 2018 is from Essex, chosen from 22,000 sea cadets nationally. Essex Sea Cadets swept up a number of other national trophies in categories including Community Social Action.”

The Lord-Lieutenant of Essex appointed her cadets for 2018/19 at the event. For the first time in the county’s history, a Combined Cadet Force cadet and a Sea cadet have been chosen for this prestigious role. Their appointment acknowledges their outstanding contribution to their cadet service and to the community.

The Lord-Lieutenant’s cadets will be invited to join the Lord-Lieutenant in carrying out her duties as HM The Queen’s representative for the county of Essex.

Mrs Tolhurst said: “I was proud to nominate and recognise the new Lord-Lieutenant cadets who have been appointed this year.

“The uniformed cadet forces help to develop teamwork, communication skills and confidence. There are cadets here tonight who have acquired a huge range of skills from playing musical instruments to engineering, flying, fieldcraft, shooting and a range of adventurous activities.”

New enquiries are welcome - anyone interested in becoming a cadet or an adult instructor should get in touch with their nearest unit.